The View From a Bullet Train's Cockpit Is Suprisingly Chill

The phrase "bullet train" conjures images of hurtling along at Superman's pace, the world shaking as it flies by. But the view onboard this real high-speed rail is pretty serene.

This video purport to show the cockpit vantage from a train gliding through a dreary commute across northern inland China. Despite the speed—it says 275 kilometers per hour there on the dash, so about 170 mph—it looks awfully untroubled.

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The video's description says the train is zipping between Datong and Xian, which, if Google Maps knows what's up, is about a nine-hour drive, about the same as going from Chicago to Memphis. At the rate this train is passing stations—roughly the speed you're going when your jetliner's tires leave the runway—it should take about three hours. Then you can take the rest of life as slow as you please.